Recruiters spend A LOT of time talking about job hunting, acing interviews and polishing CVs.
Yet often something that’s just as important (if not more so) is completely overlooked…
As a candidate, you may be right for them…
But is the company right for you?
As a developer, you’re in demand. You can expect your salary to rise by 4.5% in 2019 alone, and a further 5% in 2020. Not many workers can say that. So the question as to whether a company may be right for you has never been more relevant (after all, it seems that you can be picky – especially since the UK IT skills crisis is worsening).
Before you even so much as glance at the jobs boards…
What do you want, I mean, really want?
Is pay more important than perks such as state-of-the-art kit, stock options and a free gym membership?
How important is the actual task at hand – do you want to shape a brand-new software product set for use by millions of people, or are you happy being behind the scenes of an internal system?
What about pressure, the technologies you enjoy using and the size of the team you’d like to work in?
Working out what’s important to you can help you establish some golden rules as to which roles you’ll apply for – and those that you really want.
The job description - Is it all about them?
Companies are currently falling over themselves as they compete for the best software engineering talent. This should naturally lead to job descriptions that balance what’s expected of you, with what they have to offer.
The interview – three signs they’re not the one
1. They show you in late
Interview schedules can be tight – especially when interviewing back-to-back, so some overrunning is to be expected. That said, an apology should be forthcoming, and if you’re waiting for an interviewer who’s “stuck in a meeting with the boss”, take it as a sign of things to come.
2. They are unprepared
Looking for their notes, not got the resources to hand that they need? Just get the inkling that this interview may have been sprung on them at the last minute? Again, these are red flags that a company doesn’t champion their programmer talent.
3. They are taken by surprise with your questions about culture and career paths
As an ambitious developer looking for your next role, you’ll naturally want to ask about the company culture and the future career path if you were to land the role (along with these five other questions). If they stare blankly back at you, take it that the culture feels a little like Monday morning all week through, and that career paths are non-existent.
Behind the words on a website – are there real past employee reviews?
Asking about culture and career paths are all well and good, but what do past or present employees have to say? Glassdoor can provide a window into the back office and what it’s really like to work somewhere. Likewise, you may be able to get a feel for whether a company walks their talk over on their social pages.
Want to find your perfect fit? Start here – by searching our job roles.
If you need any help feel free to get in touch with our team - email hello@
